Hamad International Airport (HIA) has set a new record, welcoming 17.6 million passengers during the first half of this year.

The airport registered a growth of more than 20% compared to the same period last year which witnessed 14.6 million passengers.

HIA also saw a significant increase in aircraft operations from January to June with a total of 118,069 movements, which represents a 17% increase in aircraft take-offs and landings at the airport, compared to the same period last year.

This growth is attributed to the continuous expansion of Qatar Airways with eight new destinations added in the first half of the year namely, Adelaide, Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Los Angeles, Marrakech, Ras Al Khaimah and Yerevan as well as new flights by Philippine Airlines, Atlas Global Airlines and Himalaya Airlines.

Cargo tonnage continued to grow strongly by 20.3% totaling 817,792 tonnes during the same period, further strengthening HIA’s position as one of the world’s major cargo hubs.

HIA’s top routes with regard to passenger numbers during the first half of this year were Dubai, London, Bangkok, Bahrain and Colombo, generating collectively 20.3% of the airport’s traffic. The UAE topped all countries in terms of total passenger numbers followed by India, Saudi Arabia, USA and United Kingdom. Regionally, the Far East achieved a 33.6% share of passenger movements, followed by the Middle East with 22% and Europe with 21.6% during the same period.

Commenting on the airport’s figures, Eng Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, said: “The first six months of this year have been the busiest for our airport to date, achieving record passenger and aircraft movement traffic. We expect HIA to continue demonstrating a healthy and steady growth in passenger numbers for the rest of the year, supporting Qatar’s vision for HIA to be leader among global aviation hubs.”

HIA is the hub for its home base carrier Qatar Airways, which now flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, making Doha a global hub for business and leisure travel. (Source)

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